NIMH » Scientists Unveil Detailed Cell Maps of the Human Brain and the Nonhuman Primate Brain

An international group of scientists has mapped the genetic, cellular and structural makeup of the human and non-human primate brains. This understanding of brain structure National Institutes of Health Brain research powered by innovative advances in neurotechnology® Initiative, or BRAIN Initiative® , will enable deeper knowledge of the cellular basis of brain function and dysfunction, helping to pave the way for a new generation of precision treatments for people with mental disorders and other brain disorders. The findings are published in a summary of 24 papers. science, scientific progressand scientific translational medicine.

“Mapping the brain’s cellular landscape is a critical step in understanding how this vital organ functions in health and disease,” said Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health. said the doctor. “These new detailed cellular atlases of the human and non-human primate brains provide the basis for designing new treatments that can target specific brain cells and circuits involved in brain disorders. Offers.”

These latest 24 papers BRAIN Initiative Cell Research Network (BICCN) The collection details the enormously complex diversity of cells in the human and non-human primate brains. These studies have identified similarities and differences in how cells are organized and genes are regulated in the human and non-human primate brains. for example:

• Three papers in the collection present the first atlas of cells in the adult brain; transcriptional and epigenome landscape of the brain. The transcriptome is the complete set of genetic reads within a cell and contains instructions for making proteins and other cellular products. The epigenome refers to chemical modifications to a cell’s DNA and chromosomes that change how the cell’s genetic information is expressed.
• Another paper compared the cellular and molecular properties of the human brain and the brains of several non-human primates (chimpanzee, gorilla, macaque, and marmoset brains) and found that the types, proportions, and proportions of cells in the cerebral cortex It became clear that there were clear similarities in spatial configuration. of humans and non-human primates. Examination of gene expression in cortical cells across species shows that relatively small changes in gene expression in the human lineage result in changes in neural wiring and synaptic function, which likely enable greater plasticity in the human brain, and that in humans This suggests that it supports the brain’s adaptive and learning abilities. , and change.
• A study examining how cells change in different brain regions of marmosets found a link between the properties of cells in the adult brain and those of those cells during development. This association is due to the fact that developmental programming is embedded in cells as they form and are maintained into adulthood, and that some cellular characteristics observable in adults are acquired very early in life. This suggests that it may have an origin. This discovery could lead to new insights into brain development and function across the lifespan.
• A study of the anatomy and physiology of neurons in the outermost layer of the neocortex (the part of the brain involved in higher-order functions such as cognition, motor command, and language) suggests this in human brains and mice. Differences between the brains of people have been revealed. This region may be an evolutionary hotspot, with changes in humans reflecting our more sophisticated demands to control more complex brain circuits.

A groundbreaking effort to understand the cellular composition of the brain, BICCN’s primary goal is to create a comprehensive inventory of cells in the brain. The aim is to clarify where cells exist, how they develop, how they work together, and how they regulate their activities. To better understand how brain disorders develop, progress, and how best to treat them.

“This series of studies represents a breakthrough in understanding the complexity of the human brain at the cellular level,” he said. Dr. John Guy , Director of the NIH BRAIN Initiative. “The scientific collaborations forged through BICCN are moving the field forward at an exponential pace. The progress and potential has been truly breathtaking.”

The investigation of brain cell types in the human and non-human primate brains presented in this collection serves as an important step toward the development of future brain treatments. This discovery, along with two of his other large-scale projects, also set the stage for his groundbreaking BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network. BRAIN Initiative Connectivity across scale And that Equipped for precise access to brain cells — Aims to revolutionize neuroscience research by uncovering fundamental principles governing the circuit basis of behavior and informing new approaches to treating human brain disorders.

reference

Maroso, M. (2023). Exploring the human brain. science. http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0913

Subsidy

Project funded through the NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network

NIH BRAIN Initiative is managed by 10 institutes and centers whose mission and current research portfolio complement the goals of The BRAIN Initiative®. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Eye Institute, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): The nation’s medical research agency, the NIH, includes 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency that conducts and supports basic, clinical, and translational medical research, investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, NIH (National Institutes of Health) and its programs, NIH website .